An outstanding experience…read more
I was skeptical: it's a train ride. And an old one. How good can it be?
Answer: a near-religious experience.
So much to discuss, so I guess I'll take the experience in order.
It can be a little hard to spot the entrance; there are multiple signs, and there are loads of locomotives and train equipment around, but it can initially be a little hard to see exactly where to turn in. When you do, though, there is plenty of parking and signage. Check-in staff had our reservation and got us through easy.
The train itself is awesome. It runs just like old trains do: steam power, all that. It's not the smoothest ride, but it's not rough. The train is in good shape, clean, and well-kept. There are bathrooms on the train.
There are four packages to choose from: the cattle-car gondola, a booth-style car (just like modern trains, but with bench seating), a deluxe car with a table and access to complimentary soft drinks and a dedicated attendant; the parlor car with chairs facing out the window.
We did deluxe, but it was such a great day, we spent most of our time out on the gondola. That said, it was nice to have drinks handy and a place to camp. And if it was not a pleasant day, it would have been nice to be inside (the windows can be put down). The gondola car lets you look all over, and the views on the train are best seen outside (be sure to wear sunglasses and closed-toed shoes). The train doesn't really run that fast; I wore a cap, and it never blew off, though you probably should still have a drawstring or wear a cap you don't mind losing just to be safe.
You can also bring your own snacks and drinks onboard in a pack, which is nice. Point is, while I really enjoyed deluxe, if the weather is nice and you pack well, there's nothing hurt with the gondola. Food and drink is available on board, and lunch is included.
Lunch is pretty good. It's a cafeteria-style buffet, and a pretty good one at that. Not spectacular, but plenty good.
The second-strongest part of this trip was the staff. There are docents available, and our attendant, Kathy, was fantastic. Very knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive. The train staff was welcoming, too.
The strongest part of the trip are the views. Antonito is a lot of scrubland with a harsh beauty, but getting up into the mountains with gorges and aspens is fantastic. Glorious stuff. Can't speak highly enough of it. Also loads of beautiful rock formations.
They supplied my kid with an activity book and the opportunity to complete tasks in the book for a junior engineer badge. He liked it.
It's a long day (leave at 10 AM, return about 5 PM), and it can feel long. Sometimes I was grateful for the activity book for my kid, and sometimes I didn't want it because it was distracting him from the glories of the trip.
Great company, great trip. So glad I did it. Prepare yourself well, and you'll have a terrific day and a great memory.